Coupling



MW h S w e e h S 2 N 0 S D M A H H W q d O M 0 m GOUPLING.

No. 508,705. Patented Nov. 14, 1893.

IWENTEIR ATTm WITNE 55E 5.

1H! NATIONAL Lrrnodnnuma COMPANY.

WAHHINGTON, n. c.

UNrT'ED STAT S PATENT QFFICE.

WILLIAM H. HAMPSON, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 508,705, dated November14, 1893. Application filed August 7. 1893. Serial lilo. 482,588- (Nomodel.)

cially adapted for use upon locomotives for the coupling of steamheating pipes.

The ob ect of my invention is to make a coupling that will be efficientand durable,

and that may be readily kept tight with a minimum amount of care.

The application of my invention to a locomotive or car permits thenon-use of the common brake or steam heating hose. Nevertheless, thecoupling may be used in connection with the hose, especially as appliedto cars, this form of connection being desirable as the cars arefrequently, uncoupled, and as the tender of a locomotive is seldomuncoupled, it will not be necessary to use my coupling with hoseconnections when applied to a locomotive.

The rubber hose now used in making connections between a locomotive andits tender or between cars, it it is used as a brake hose, is soon cutor dissolved and its efficiency destroyed by the oil from the air pump,and if it is used as a steam heating hose, it is rapidly madenon-flexible by the hardening action of'the steam. These defects areobviated by my coupling when used without hose connections.

The construction of the coupling is such that, especially when appliedwith steam heating hose connections, the free irregular movements of thecoupling are not practically affected by the rigidity of the hose.

Figure 1 represents my coupling in side elevation. Fig. 2 is a plan ofFig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a sectional view of Fig. 1 on line A B. Fig. 4;represents upon an enlarged scale in central section one of the yokeends and a portion of the central cross, the hollow gudgeon or spindlebeing shown in elevation. The construction of this gudgeon or spindle isthe same as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 and it is made for steamheatinguse. Fig. 5 represents upon an enlarged scale in sectional the hollowgudgeon.

view,'two of the yoke ends and a portion of the central cross, thehollow spindles being represented in elevation, the path of the travelof the steam or air from one yoke end to the other being represented byarrows.

The coupling is of a class known as Hookes universal joint, and it iscomposed of the two yok'es 11 and 12, the central cross 13, and thegudgeons represented. The yoke 11, is provided with the connecting hoseor pipe 14 and the two yoke arms 15 and 16,..the arm'15' being solid,and the arm 16 being hollow to, permit the passage of the steam or airfrom the connecting pipe through the hollow arm into the yoke end 17provided with the hollow gudgeon. In the same manner the yoke 12 isprovided with the connecting pipe 18 and the two yoke arms 19 and 20,the arm 19 being solid, and the arm 20 being hollow topermit the passageof the steam or air from the connecting pipe through the hollow arm intothe yoke end 21 provided with The solid yoke arm 15 is provided with theusual solid gudgeon 22, and in the same manner, the solid yoke arm 19 isprovidedwith the usual gudgeon 23. These solid gudgeons are fastenedto-the central cross and they are designed to operate in the usualmanner.

The yoke ends 17 and 21, as represented by Figs. 12 and 3, being alike,adescription of the yoke end l7only will be given, as illustrated upon anenlarged scale, by Fig. 4.. The yoke end 17 is provided with thefollowing: an annular port 24 which connects with the port 25 of thehollow yoke arml6; hollow gudgeon 26 having the water or oil packinggrooves 27 and the upper threaded end 28, and the cap 29. The hollowgudgeon 26 which is securely fastened to the central cross 13, isprovided .with the packing 30, packing ring 31, and

gland or packing nut 32, by means of which, the packing may becompressed or made up by screwing down the gland. It will be observed,that'when it is desired torenew the packing, by unscrewing the steamtight cap and then screwing out the hollow gudgeon, the packing ring andgland and probably the packing will come out with the gudgeon, therebyfacilitating the renewal of the packing.

The central cross 13 being provided with the port 33, it is obvious thatthere will always be an open or continuous port or passage way from port33 of the central cross, through the hollow gudgeon into the annularport 24, and then into and through the port of the hollow yoke arm.

In Fig. 5 the entire central cross port 33 is shown. The yoke ends 17and 21 are each shown in section and they are substantially the same asrepresented by Fig. 4 except in particulars relative to the packing ofthe hollow gudgeons.

The packing shown by Fig. at and described is especially adapted for usein connection with steam heating, no springs being used, and the packingrepresented in Fig. 5 as applied to the hollow gudgeon 34 of the yokeend 21 is designed for air brake use and the leather packing 35 iscompressed or made up by the spiral spring 36 between which and thepacking is placed the loose packing ring or follower 37.

The packing shown in Fig. 5 as applied to the hollow gudgeon 38 consistsof the collar 39 which is formed on the gudgeon and which is made tightby the differential area pressures within the yoke end which tends tokeep the flange or collar 39 in contact under pressure with the end ofthe circular bearing 40 of the yoke end.

The three hollow gndgeons 26, 34, and 38, are of the same length and arescrewed into the central cross in the same manner, as shown by Figs. 4and 5.

The path of the travel of the steam or air through the coupling, whenplaced between a locomotive and its tender or between cars isillustrated by means of arrows in Fig. 5. The steam or air from oneconnecting pipe, entering the yoke end 21 passes through the hollowgudgeon 34E, central cross port 33, hollow gudgeon 38, into the otheryoke end 17 and from thence into the other connecting pipe through thehollow arm, or vice versa.

The free or unobstructed passage of the steam or air through thecoupling will at all times be the same regardless of the angularity ofthe connecting pipes, and my coupling acts at all times as a universaljoint and at the same time the packing is of the simplest form and therepacking can be accomplished very easily, and the coupling is at alltimes efiicient and it is strong and durable.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a universal joint coupling, the combination of the yokes each yokehaving a hollow arm and a ported yoke end, with the central crossprovided with the two packed hollow gudgeons which are fastened to thecentral cross, each gudgeon beinginolosed or covered by the cap on theyoke end,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. A universal joint coupling, the yokesof which are each provided witha hollow arm and a ported yoke end having a tight cap,1n combinationwiththe central cross which is provided with a central cross port andthe hollow gudgeons fastened to the cross, substantially as described.

3. In a universal joint coupling the central cross provided with hollowgudgeons which are securely fastened to the cross, in combination withthe yokes having hollow arms and ported and capped yoke ends said yokesbeing adapted to turn upon said packed gudgeons, substantially in themanner and for the purposes set forth.

4. In a universal joint coupling, so constructed as to allow flexure inany direction, the central cross provided with the hollow gudgeons whichare securely fastened to the cross, in combination with the yokes havingthe hollow arms and the ported and capped yoke ends, said yokes beingadapted to turn upon said packed gudgeons, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM H. I-IAMPSON.

Witnesses:

E. FRANK WOQDBURY, GEORGE L. DOLBEARE.

